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Yxtrang
General Information * Augmented humans, super-soldiers, created originally to fight the Sheriekas: "To fight augmented humans, one needed special humans, not quite as adjusted and modified perhaps as the Sheriekas...but fighters who were more efficient, stronger, and often faster." Crystal Soldier, ch 2 **The soldier caste from which the present-day Yxtrang devolve, were entirely manufactured, they were created to stringent specifications, indoctrinated from birth into a soldier culture that deliberately distanced them from civilian cultures. They might have been raised up knowing that they were better than the not-soldiers. But they were also raised to a strong sense of duty. The civilians, who were weaker and less able to defend themselves, were natural objects of their protection. *Originally spelled Trang (meaning "Troop") *The word Yxtrang was formed by blending together Y Strain and X Strain. *Yxtrang have deliberately developed their own cant language, referred to as Troop, but they once spoke the common tongue.Crystal Soldier, ch 5 **"If they're gonna have tattoos on their faces," she said to Jela, "and their own language, too, it might be hard for an ordinary citizen to take to 'em much."Crystal Soldier, ch 17 **Their native language was also manufactured, spoken only among those of the Troop. Not only were there technical matters they needed to speak of quickly and efficiently, but secret things, too.The Gathering Edge, ch 7 *Yxtrang are taller than average Terrans, but shorter than Clutch Turtles (average Liadens are 5' tall, Terrans 7' tall, Clutch 9' tall To Cut an Edge ** But in "I Dare" Edger is only 8 feet. I Dare, ch 5, Day 50 Lytaxin Erob's Medical center *Yxtrang soldiers do not have beards (although they have beard growth) - it's part of dicipline''Plan B'', ch 15 *Soldiers achieve rank by performance (lieutenants, commanders, etc) but from before birth, through design, and through subsequent training, they become dutiful common trooper "Rifles" or the more adaptable, intelligent, and autonomous (but still dutiful) "Explorers" The Gathering Edge, ch 17, "an Explorer born and trained" (Some older model "Pathfinders" had "mental shields installed at such a cost" to resist the enemy.The Gathering Edge, ch 16) *Yxtrang have a biological imperative for immediate action but the Explorers have learned techniques to think past it The Gathering Edge, ch 12 Daily Mantra (Diglon Rifle reflecting): "The Yxtrang concept, learned at first by a story told by an elder Troop, was rote as a child and reinforced at first once per ten day and then once per five day and then once per day until at last it was part of his very waking thought: Today I will joyfully do the work of the Troop, without delay, remorse, reserve, or restriction."The Rifle's First Wife, in A Liaden Universe Constellation, volume III History M Series Soldiers *See books 1 & 2: Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon *More than a millennium ago the GREAT ENEMY, the Sheriekas ("they'd been human once....they were the evolved human, the perfected species"Crystal Soldier, ch 1) created the prototype super-soldier. However, humans stole the design. "The design was captured, modifications were made, and when the Sheriekas retuned to exercise their dominion over the Spiral Arm, the M Series was waiting to deny them the pleasure." Crystal Soldier, ch 31 *Human, "designed with human care" and not vat-born "even if his genes had been selected, and cultivated, and arranged, he was arguably as human as anyone who didn't bear a Batch tattoo on both arms." Crystal Soldier, ch 1 *The M Series soldier had been designed to be "far stronger for his size, to get by on less food, see and hear better than average, and respond with faster and more refined action, etc. Crystal Soldier, ch 1 *M strain soldiers were "resistant to a long list of mental manipulations, including sabotage by pheromone"Crystal Soldier, ch 19 * The earliest named soldier in the series of books is Jela (M Jela Granthor's Guard). Jela was an M Series soldier, a generalist, assigned to Granthor's Guard creche. He was athletic, adaptable, energetic, humorous, repeatedly lucky, and highly intelligent. Above all, Jela was dutiful.Crystal Soldier * Jela and all M Series soldiers were created individually in a lab and nursed from fetus in a crèche with other children. Crystal Soldier, ch 29 (not vat-born) *Engineered soldiers by default cannot reproduce Crystal Dragon (but Cantra did conceive "Jela's true and biologic child")Crystal Dragon, ch 22 *M series soldiers were designed to die by decommission at age 45.Crystal Dragon, ch 2 *Command decided to improve on the M Series. "They were too independent, too individual, much too prone to use their own judgment." Crystal Soldier, ch 5 *The M Series line of soldiers became extinct, but it could be reintroduced, because Jela bequeathed his gene map to Cantra yos'Phelium, via Captain Wellik. Crystal Dragon, ch 24 X & Y Series Soldiers *Wanting a more obedient soldier, the designers engineered the taller X Strain and the Y Strain, which became collectively known as the Yxtrang. However, the designers failed to achieve their goal: "They lacked the interchangeability of some committee-envisioned super-fighter: Physically perfect, identical, and above all, amenable to command." Crystal Soldier, ch 5 *The new design created an unintended schism: "The so-called X Strain -- able to work harder and longer on less food than even the efficient Ms...They spoke among themselves a truncated and canted artificial dialect, and appeared to lump any soldier but those of the latest vat runs into a social class of lesser outsiders." Crystal Soldier, ch 5 *Unlike the M series, the Yxtrang were entirely manufactured and deliberately distanced themselves from civilians, in culture, language, etc."The Gathering Edge *Unlike the Ms, the X and Y series covered their face in tattoos: "the all-too-silly tattoos that were becoming the rage -- and making each as identifiable as if they'd shouted out name, rank, creche, and gene units" Crystal Soldier, ch 5 (The tattoos are eventually referred to as "vingtai" in Plan B''.) *Not all of the new X and Y soldiers were intolerant of the Ms, as seen by the honor shown to Jela and his decommissioned ship, ''The Salkithin (renamed Quick Passage). "Happened this particular crew'd been Jela's own from when Salkithin had been put to sleep, six Common Years ago and a bit. It were a mixed crew -- three X Strains, two Ms, a Y, and Ilneri, who was, as far as Cantra could make it, a natural human -- and they all had something to tell about the "Little Captain" Crystal Dragon, ch 27 *As the invulnerable Sheriekas easily devastated Spiral Arm worlds, military command lost hope and interest. With some notable exceptions —-Jela's group, Wellik, etc -- soldiers lost duty, discipline, and honor. **Example: heavily tattooed soldiers at Korak Garrison sharpening their teeth, jeering, and shooting at innocent civiliansCrystal Dragon, ch 5 *High Command, having been bought, eventually abandoned the beleaguered Rim and pulled back, towards the center of the Galaxy. They set up Temp Headquarters at Daelmere. Subsequently (or consequently?) the Sherieka destroyed planet Daelmere, including Temp Headquarters "or where Headquarters isn't anymore." Crystal Dragon, ch 28 **Commandant Harrib at Scohecan Garrison disagreed with High Command's decision and accepted Jela's datastrip from Consolidated Commander Ro Gayda. Harrib was a natural human: "...a slender man, with sandy hair going thin...not a Series soldier." He ran a tight ship, despite dwindling supplies, with two M series soldiers guarding the gate, and a rambunctious but respectful young X on a scooter. Crystal Soldier, ch 20 Post Migration *Fleeing the Sheriekas, the remnants of the Spiral Arm migrated to a new universe. Upon arrival, Yxtrang had no High Command, no orders. They set up Temp Headquarters to wait for command, and supposedly still wait, centuries later. The Gathering Edge *Aimless and without duty, but born with an imperative for action, the Yxtrang became world conquerors and merciless ravagers, making themselves an enemy to Liadans, Clutch Turtles, and Terrans (but tolerating some Terrans, the Juntavas).Carpe DiemI Dare **The Yxtrang suffered catastrophic loss to the Clutch -- "slayer of soldiers, destroyer of fleets" - and, utterly defeated, agreed to terms, Agent of Change, ch 22 becoming "their fair and just prey" I Dare *After so many centuries, perhaps a millennium, the Yxtrang series is dying out. "The design was failing. There were fewer viable births every cycle"The Gathering Edge, ch 17 (vat-births, presumably, still?) Korval's Trio of Yxtrang *Three Yxtrang who served in the Fourteenth Conquest Corps when it attacked planet Lytaxin. (Plan B) *For various reasons, they eventually gave their oath of fealty to Miri Robertson, heroic captain of the Lytaxin Irregulars, and to Clan Korval *Nelirikk Explorer, Diglon Rife, and Hazenthull Explorer *See Nelirikk, Diglon, & Hazenthull for more info Individual Yxtrang Gernchik Explorer *Yxtrang Explorer (similar to Scout) I Dare. Hazenthull's mentor. Died on Lytaxin. Commander Kahliiz *Raided the ship in which Val Con and Miri later escaped to Vandar''Agent of Change'', ch 18 "The General" *"The General" of the 14th Conquest Corps is never named in the book, "Plan B" *On planet Lytaxin, the General ignored No-Troop Nelirikk's urgent warning, thus losing a troop transport ship, the "Spraghentz" *The General sent Nelirikk No-Troop into enemy land, on a recon mission *Other Yxtrang involved: Captain Kagan, Corporal Dikl, Over-Technician AkrantPlan B Ambassador Vepal Ambassador to the Unaffiliated Worlds''The Gathering Edge'', ch 3''The Gathering Edge'', ch 10 Ochin Rifle *bodyguard to Vepal''The Gathering Edge'', ch 3''The Gathering Edge'', ch 10 Erthax *pilot of Vepal's ship''The Gathering Edge'', ch 10 Captain Wellik * Jela's comrade. Wellik was an X Strain in command at Solcintra Garrison, in the old universe. He has "a single brown star tattooed high on his left cheek." Jela sends Tor An yos'Galan and Liad dea'Syl to Wellik with some leaves from Tree as proof of trust: "I know you have no love of soldiers, especially the X strains, but I personally vouch for Wellik."Crystal Dragon, ch 15 Wellik created Jela's Honor Guard unit -- the same unit that Nelirikk belongs to in the new universe. Crystal Dragon, ch 33 **Wellik appointed pilot Vachik (Y strain soldier) to Jela's Honor Guard unit. He was Cantra's friend. Pathfinders Chernak and Stost *Chernak Strongline, female *Stost Strongline, male *see The Gathering Edge and Neogenesis Yxtrang unit emblems (there's at least one described during the battle of Lytaxin) Yxtrang Facial Tattoos - "Vingtai" *Marks of rank and accomplishment, done with a needle to be permanent''Plan B'', ch 15 *Yxtrang history, as taught to Nelirikk, tells that vingtai were used by the first soldiers because it gave fear to Liadens''Plan B'', ch 15 *However, tattoos were already becoming "all the rage" in the old universe.Crystal Soldier, ch 5 *For one example, Jela saw a "woman with a red lance crossing a blue blade tattooed on her right cheek"Crystal Soldier, ch 5 *Nelirikk's vingtai showed the following (before it was removed): **On the right cheek: Insignia of born-to troop: Jela's Guard Corps''Plan B'', ch 15 **On the left cheek: Marks of Explorers and the double lines of No-Troop''Plan B'', ch 15 **The rest: Creche mark, apprentice troop, honors of marksmanship and piloting''Plan B'', ch 15 *Flower of Genius, worn at the outer corner of the left eye, may be earned by proposing a creative solution to a difficult problem''The Gathering Edge'', ch 3 Yxtrang Facial Scar - "Nchaka" *"When a soldier is done training and has his own weapon given, Sergeant of Arsenal bloods the Grace-Blade, to show the edge is sharp."Plan B, ch 15 *When Miri gives the order that Nelirikk's Vingtai shall be removed, she allows him to keep the Nchaka ("A man's scars are his own")Plan B, ch 15 X Strain troop tattoos * a combat whip throwing sparks--or maybe it was stars Crystal Dragon, ch 17 * three modest diagonal stripes--green-yellow-green Crystal Dragon, ch 20 * an eight-pointed star and a ship Crystal Dragon, ch 5 References